How will S.C. schools make up days canceled because of Helene?
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Hurricane Helene impacted dozens of school districts across South Carolina, with some just getting back this week.
Now it has families around the state wanting to know: How will schools make up the days they missed, and could it impact summer break?
State law requires all districts to have at least 180 instructional days per year.
But when circumstances like a hurricane cancel school, it begins a process that could wind up at the State House, before the General Assembly.
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“We understand this is really difficult to balance the student-safety aspect, staff-safety aspect of it, and the instructional mandates required by state law,” South Carolina Department of Education Director of Media Relations Jason Raven said. “So here at the department, we’re here and we’re ready to assist with everybody during this ongoing situation.”
Every district’s schedule for the school year has at least three designated makeup days built into it.
If nothing happens that requires schools use them during the year, it’s usually a day off.
But if districts do have to cancel school, they are first required to tap into these days to make them up.
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If they missed more than those three days, they can seek approval to waive them so they don’t have to make them up: First, from their local school board, for up to three days; then from the State Board of Education for another three days; and finally through a resolution from the General Assembly for any extra time past that.
Of course, districts can still opt to make those days up instead of trying to waive them.
“There is some flexibility here,” Raven said. “There are e-learning days. Some school districts can use holidays, cut their spring break short, take a day away from there.
A memo the Department of Education recently sent to districts also notes, for example, they can make up lost time over the course of multiple days by having students come in early or stay late.
“So it may not necessarily be where a school district will have to go further into the summertime. There is some flexibility in how they can make up those days,” Raven said.
Districts are also allowed to use up to five e-learning days as instructional days a year, which they can use as their makeup days.
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